Wyncroft Wine Dinner August 17

On Friday, we'll have the pleasure of hosting one of the country's finest boutique wine makers, Jim Lester, of Wyncroft Winery in southwest Michigan. Jim will be here to provide a first-hand account as to what it takes to produce world-class wines that reflect Lake Michigan Shore's microclimate.

Wyncroft operates an unirrigated vineyard in the style of a tiny French "garagiste" winery. With no tasting room, its limited-release wines are more frequently talked about than tasted, available only by mailing list and at a select group of restaurants. Wyncroft now offers a small amount of wine through its website wine shop.

At the dinner, we’ll be featuring the following wines, all grown in Wyncroft’s vineyard:

2011 Riesling (served at Story's garden patio)--paired with Indiana heirloom melons and caprese salad
2007 Chardonnay--paired with duck confit rolls
2010 Pinot Noir--paired with bacon-wrapped outdoor grilled scallops
2010 Bordeaux Blend (76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc, 6% Petit Verdot)--paired with hickory-smoked and charcoal-grilled Indiana lamb chops

To finish the evening, we’ll be pouring a German-style Eiswein with a not-too-sweet dessert. Jim Lester, as the proud father, will describe how each was harvested, fermented, barreled and bottled.

As always, we’ll be pairing the wines with herbs and produce harvested from our own garden, or grown locally. You may view the menu online in the coming hours.

Seating at this wine dinner will be by reservation only, which you can make by calling (812) 988-2273. Uncorking will be at 7:00 p.m. The price will be $85/person, which will include tax and gratuity. NOTE: THIS PRICE IS SLIGHTLY HIGHER THAN OUR CUSTOMARY WINE DINNER, DUE TO THE HIGH QUALITY AND LOW SUPPLY OF THESE WINES.  A limited number of these wines will be available for carry-out that evening.

Wyncroft wines are currently sold in the following Chicago-area restaurants:

Alinea
Blackbird
Cafe 36
Charlie Trotter's
Custom House
Green Zebra